Kevin Davies
Kevin Davies in the jersey of Bolton Wanderers (2011)
Kevin Cyril Davies ( born March 26, 1977 in Sheffield ) is an English footballer. The very powerful and slim fit active striker traditional character is since summer 2013 in Preston North End under contract. In advanced football age of 33, he celebrated his debut in October 2010 for the English national team and was the oldest debutant of the "Three Lions " since 1950.
Sports career
Chesterfield FC (1993-1997)
Davies played during school hours in his hometown of Sheffield United and although progress had always been to him to certify the management decided in the junior division against further employment when he was 15 years old. With the lower class Chesterfield FC, however, quickly found a new club and a few months later, he made his league debut. At the age of 16 years and 176 days he was the second youngest debutant of the League " Spireites " and four days later by Substitutes the youngest player in the League Cup. Shortly after his 17th birthday, Davies signed the first professional contract. Despite his inexperience, the play seemed exceptionally mature in the first seasons and its powerful offensive runs he radiated self-confidence, the talent scouts from the Premier League quickly became attentive.
In the season 1994/95 FC Chesterfield rose with " top scorer " Davies in the third-class Second Division. However, a persistent pelvic inflammation caused in the 1995/96 season for several enforced breaks and also the other league everyday proved to be difficult, as Chesterfield recorded a total of the weaker teams and higher ambitions were unrealistic. The sad climax was here on February 22, 1997, the 1-2 defeat against Plymouth Argyle when he was one of five players who have been expelled by red map of the field. The highlights were to be found in the cup games. Davies catapulted in 1997 with his team surprisingly in the FA Cup semi-final. He gained particular attention here with his three goals for a 3-2 away win against his employer later Bolton Wanderers - the catchment to the final then failed despite a 2-0 lead after 60 minutes against FC Middlesbrough, because " Boro " nor compensated and in the replay 3-0 to keep the upper hand.
By the end of the 1996/97 season Davies scored 22 goals in 129 league games. The relatively low strike rate was based on the fact that he mostly stayed on the outer positions in midfield and rarely near the gate. Nevertheless, the general interest höherklassiger clubs was unbroken present. The start toward transfer request made Bristol City, which gave a bid of £ 700,000. Davies refused even immediately, especially as this is a 1- million offer from the first division club FC Southampton was rumored. When the club had secured from the south coast final relegation, the clubs concerned finally agreed in May 1997 on the transfer and a transfer fee in the amount of 750,000 pounds - after the contract expires at the end of 1996/97 had Davies can switch free transfer.
Southampton FC, with interruptions (1997-2003)
Southampton's former coach Graeme Souness forgave the novice Vorschusslorbeeren and certified him a lot of potential and talent, although he regarded the training as not yet complete. Davies was quickly in the 1997/98 season as a "bargain" and besides his debut in the U-21 national team, he won in November 1997, the award for best Premier League Player of the Month - jointly with Andrew Cole of Manchester United. In 25 league operations, he scored nine goals and in choosing to England's Footballer of the Year, he finished in the category of best young rider in second place behind Michael Owen.
Within a year, the market value of Kevin Davies had increased tenfold what was reflected in the fact that he joined in June 1998 for 7.5 million pounds and an alleged salary of £ 20,000 a week to Blackburn Rovers. Hopes for the next step in his career with the club, who had won three years before the championship, however, did not meet. In a disappointing 1998/99 season Davies met only once and was not even in half of his 24 appearances in the starting lineup. Jointly responsible for this setback was also a serious throat infection, which had to be hospitalized and after he did not return again found in the root formation. As Blackburn then even descent into second-class players and the high costs were disproportionate, acted the club with former club Southampton a " return " from. In a swap moved Egil Østenstad from Southampton to Blackburn.
The positive continuation of his career long-known place turned out to be harder than I thought. Its shape was variable and, as he had to contend with the frequent changes to the coaching position. In 82 league games he got 59 times in the starting eleven and ten goals meant that he had fallen well short of expectations. When he was also hired in September 2002 for two months to the second division FC Millwall, his Erstligalaufbahn seemed entgegenzuneigen the end. Quasi " out of nowhere " was the free transfer Davies but then in July 2003, an offer from Bolton Wanderers, which had recently secured almost the Erstligaklassenerhalt.
Bolton Wanderers (since 2003)
In Bolton manager Sam Allardyce Davies was a conveyor which had for him right away great confidence. In each of the 38 Premier League games he was in the starting and with ten competitive game hits he took in the 2003/04 season again regularly the opponent's case. This included in Cardiff the score back to 1:2 Full Time lost in the League Cup final against Middlesbrough FC.
Under Allardyce, who is regarded as coach of the " old school", developed Davies - as well as later under Gary Megson and Owen Coyle - from then on his playing combative center forward. As a side effect of this figure-hugging style, he gained more and more records in terms of fouls and warnings. Between 2003 and 2008 he had committed the most fouls in the same game three times and in the remaining two seasons, he finished in these statistics "only" the second rank - at the same time, he himself regularly among the most fouled players.
The steadily growing importance expressed in the " Trotters " in the 2008 /09 season that he scored the best to date yield and in January 2009 took over the captaincy of the Newcastle United migrated Kevin Nolan. With his attributes he was in a club with a relatively low budget repeats a key player in a relegation battle. Also in the episode season 2010/11 Davies succeeded with Bolton ultimately secure the league, although he again came to a modest strike rate with seven goals in comparison to the other Premier League center forwards.
England national team
Davies played between 1997 and 2000 three caps for the English U -21; a planned participation in the Tournament of Toulon in 1998 failed due to a knee injury.
For many years remained the striker then far away from international football before the end of the season 2009/10 elicited a possible play for the Scottish national team, but was eventually rejected by Davies himself. Instead, he got in the fall of 2010, unexpectedly his chance in the English A-National Team. As a substitute for Peter Crouch he gave on 13 October 2010 in the match against Montenegro made its debut in the second half, and was thus 33 years old to the oldest debutant since Leslie Compton a good 60 years earlier.